


30 Day BenKaru Challenge -- Day 18, Out With Friends

by tinynerdlet



Series: 30 Day BenKaru Challenge [18]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 00:32:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7992001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinynerdlet/pseuds/tinynerdlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben, Hikaru, Nyota, and Pavel go to a sports bar to watch the Olympics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	30 Day BenKaru Challenge -- Day 18, Out With Friends

**Author's Note:**

> [See Story On Tumblr](http://spoopynerdlet.tumblr.com/post/149398833298/day-18-of-benkaru-out-with-friends)

They arrived at the sports bar as the space was beginning to fill up. Ben hovered behind Hikaru, his hand fiddling with the cuff of Hikaru’s opposite shirt sleeve. He gave soft apologies and kept his head down as they worked through the crowd towards a booth on the edge of the space. The booth was already occupied by two people, both of whom Ben had the pleasure of meeting before.

“There you both are,” Nyota said, a smile on her face, “And here I thought we were going to have to send out a search party.”

“Not this time,” Hikaru said, edging into the unoccupied bench. Ben moved in next to him, letting go of the man’s shirt sleeve in the process. Once he settled, an ease seeped into him.

“Ah, Ben,” the other person, Pavel, said, “I just had a chance to read your first novel. I enjoyed it very much. Do you know when your next one will be released.”

“Thank you, Pavel. I don’t, but I’ll be sure to send you an advanced copy when I can.” Pavel beamed at him.

Casual conversation continued, as their weekly dinners always did. A waiter came by, offered drinks, took their orders, and left again. In that time, people settled at tables and booths, light chatter filling the room. Televisions shone with pre-show scenes and commentating that no one cared about. Ben certainly didn’t. But he found his eyes traveling towards them during breaks in conversation. He found Nyota, Pavel, and even Hikaru doing the same thing.

Eventually, the television volume turned up. An announcer came to life, telling them, and others around the world, that the match was about to begin. Light chatter continued throughout the bar, but it was more subdued.

Two teams came out, each with their own colors, their own flags. Ben knew them well. One was the Russian flag, a sign for the football team that took the field, and the other was the American flag, for the local soccer team. The final match on the Olympic stage was about to take place and everyone in the bar sat on the edge. No doubt it was the same in other places around the world.

Ben didn’t feel it. He didn’t really care.

While the rest of the bar got enveloped in the game, he turned to a small writing PADD, which he took notes on. Anytime there were louder cheers and boos, Ben looked up to see what happened. The others at the table still talked with him, and he let them in, but anytime their attention went to the game, he went back to his work.

The game ended with a 1-0 score. Pavel was the only one pouting about it.

The crowd thinned rather rapidly after the game ended. Within ten minutes the four of them left as well, with Ben and Hikaru breaking off from Nyota and Pavel to head back to their off campus apartment. They walked in silence at first, their fingers on opposite hands intertwined.

“Did you have fun?” Ben asked.

“I did,” Hikaru said, then paused, “I’ll never understand why Pavel’s so interested in that game, though.”

“I’m sure he’d say the same thing about your fascination about fencing.”

“Fencing is a great sport.”

Ben hummed. He could see Hikaru look at him out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t look over to see the look as he tried not to smile. Tried his hardest. But when Hikaru poked him in the ribs, he just couldn’t help himself.


End file.
